2023 Wirra Wirra Church Block Cabernet Shiraz Merlot 375ml 12 Pack

93 POINTS

Tony Love - Winepilot

Cabernet has long been the flag-bearer for the traditional Church Block, its percentage in the blend varying depending on the season, this outing being 54% to lead 38% Shiraz and 8% Merlot. Each is vinified separately before the Cabernet characters decide the final assembly. And yes, they are bang-on varietally with dark berry, bay leaf, black olive paste, some forest leafiness and a faint whiff of choc-mint, from nose through the palate, a subtle tannin bitterness in the finish. A pretty solid Church Block expression.

93 POINTS

Campbell Mattinson - The Wine Front

We’ve previously listed this, in the Search function, as Wirra Wirra Church Block, but now that Church Block is a range rather than a single wine, the search results will just need to get a bit messier. Thankfully the wine itself is neat and very nicely done. Wow this is good for $25. Impressed, I definitely am. It’s mid weight, well balanced, well structured and well sustained. It tastes of berries, mint and chocolate, though it also carries a slightly dusty, gently autumnal edge. Fruit though is the mainstay. Excellent is the word. Top Value.

92 POINTS

Marcus Ellis - Halliday Wine Companion

Church Block must have been taken to almost every BYO restaurant in the country, back when that was the rule rather than the exception. It is still a perennial favourite, delivering quality and value. Lifted cabernet notes, leafy and fragrant, along with cedar and mulberry, the darker berries of shiraz occupying the palate. There’s spice, a little dark chocolate. It’s got some mid-palate presence, though more medium of feel, with nice transparency and openness. It’s in winning form.

91 POINTS

Ray Jordan - Winepilot

Another excellent wine from this famous value-for-money brand. In the winery, each parcel is treated separately through fermentation and maturation before blending. Despite a cool and somewhat challenging vintage, the wine has emerged largely unscathed, displaying lovely sweet fruit characters balanced with some nice savoury, spicy pepper. It is perfectly integrated with a fine, lingering finish. An excellent wine for drinking in the short term.